IADDA CEO Sara Moscato Howe (seated, second right) testified before Illinois House on Wednesday.

(Springfield, IL) – Behavioral healthcare advocates today warned that a Illinois government shutdown would end drug treatment and mental health care services for 70,000 by the end of July.

The head of Illinois’s top behavioral healthcare group today testified before Illinois House lawmakers and said that the lack of a fiscal year 2016 budget means that by end of July approximately 60,000 men, women, and children would lose their mental health care and 10,000 would lose access to drug treatments services.

“If there is no money flowing to non-profit providers to pay for services by the end of July, there will be service shutdowns for 70,000 and layoffs,” said IADDA C.E.O Sara Moscato Howe. “There is no mystery here. The only question is only when, not if.”

Howe said that years of state budget cuts have financially weakened community social service providers.

“Among our community providers, after seven years of budget cuts totaling 40%, some providers are better prepared financially than others to absorb the financial shock of 90 to 95% of their income being indefinitely suspended,” said Howe. “However, unless that income is restored within a reasonable time frame, even the financially strongest operation will eventually cease to operate.”

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